Politics

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Liz Truss would lose a Commons vote on cutting the top rate of income tax, former cabinet minister Grant Shapps has told the BBC. Scrapping the 45% top rate was a key part of last Friday’s mini-budget

Reuters “I don’t think there is a way out.” It’s breathtaking to hear that judgement on Liz Truss’ problems from a seasoned former Conservative when the prime minister has not been in charge for a month. But instead of a honeymoon Liz Truss’s first weeks in office have resembled a horror film. A crash in

Reuters Prime Minister Liz Truss is resisting calls to bring forward publication of the independent fiscal watchdog’s assessment of her tax plans. The PM said she was “committed” to publishing the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast on 23 November, the same day the chancellor is due to set out further economic plans. Some Conservative MPs

Reuters The prime minister will meet the head of Britain’s independent forecaster on Friday after days of market turmoil. In an unusual move, Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng will meet the chairman of the Office of Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) to discuss the fallout after Friday’s mini-budget. The watchdog offered to prepare a draft forecast

Getty Images Few Conservative MPs are commenting publicly about Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s handling of the economic turmoil sparked by his mini-budget – but they are not mincing their words in off-the-record conversations. Inept, humiliating, naive and reckless are just some of the words that have cropped up. What is so irritating to many of them

Sir Keir Starmer has announced plans to create a publicly owned renewable energy company if Labour wins the next general election. Great British Energy would be modelled on France’s EDF and other firms owned by foreign states operating in the UK. It would aim to ensure a massive expansion in clean energy planned by Labour

Getty Images The Bank of England has said it will “not hesitate” to hike interest rates to curb inflation after the pound fell to a record low against the US dollar. The Bank said it was “monitoring developments closely” and would make a decision on any action in November. Its statement came after the Treasury

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Labour would reverse the government’s cut to the top rate of income tax, leader Sir Keir Starmer has said. He told the BBC the move was “the wrong choice” during a cost-of-living crisis. But Sir Keir said

This year’s Labour conference is likely to be all about division. Not so much within the party, but between it and the new Conservative leadership. While at last year’s gathering Keir Starmer pushed through internal reforms, insiders insist this year “will be all about the country, not the party”. And the clash of personalities between

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kwasi Kwarteng has said massive tax cuts aimed at boosting economic growth are fair for all despite the highest earners gaining the most. The chancellor scrapped the top rate of income tax as part of the biggest

Getty Images The Bank of England has raised interest rates from 1.75% to 2.25% – the highest level for 14 years – and warned the UK may already be in a recession. The central bank had previously expected the economy to grow between July and September but it now believes it will shrink by 0.1%.

Getty Images Plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis will be set out in a mini-budget on Friday. New Prime Minister Liz Truss has pledged to cut tax and boost the economy. What could be in the mini-budget? The announcements will be made by new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, who is in charge of the public finances.

Getty Images The Treasury is refusing to publish a forecast of the UK’s economic outlook alongside this Friday’s mini-Budget. Independent forecaster the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has already provided a draft to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, the BBC understands. The Treasury Select Committee says a forecast is “vital” given recent government moves to curb living

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The UK’s seven surviving prime ministers attended Westminster Abbey to bid farewell to the Queen. Current Prime Minister Liz Truss was joined by Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair, and Sir John

Reuters Chinese leaders will be invited to attend the Queen’s lying-in-state, the UK Parliament has now confirmed. This is despite some MPs saying they were assured this week by the Commons Speaker that a Chinese delegation would not be welcome in Westminster Hall, sources told the BBC. China’s ambassador to the UK is barred from

PA Media President Biden’s climate envoy has told the BBC he hopes King Charles will continue his work on global warming. John Kerry told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg he would welcome the King’s involvement because he “has the ability… to leverage the kind of action we need now on a global basis”. He said the